It turns out that NGINX strips away headers that include invalid characters, in this case “ping.instanceId” contains a period, and is thus an “invalid header” according to NGINX. The fix for this was to add the following to the NGINX server configuration, under the PF cluster server section:

Today I decided to vote on a rather useless poll. There was a box on the right hand of Facebook asking me how far I’d travel for a McDonalds McRib sandwich. The options were:

Around the block

Up to 50 miles

Anywhere in the world

Facebook Poll - Notice it shows my friend's poll choice

Obviously, I chose around the block, as I have never tried a McRib (There’s my disclaimer), but do not feel the need to travel any of the either distances for fast food. Then I noticed something right under the poll results that said “See how your friends voted.” What? When did this happen, or have I never noticed it? I quickly took to my privacy settings on Facebook and could not find anything pertaining to “Poll Results” and my privacy. What if I participate in a highly personal (Sure, maybe sponsored) poll on Facebook, and it’s my opinion and I may choose not to share it with my Facebook friends. I currently do not have that option, only the option to not participate at all in the poll.

Tread your privacy waters carefully Facebook…you’ve been doing decent so far in responding to the community as a whole on privacy issues, I just think this is a small bump in the road for you guys.

I am by no means an expert with interviews. However, I have done research on them, and some personal experiences sure help enforce some of my research!

Here are some of my suggestions, which are in no way an “Official Guide”:

Be Yourself

Whatever company is hiring you, is going to want YOU. If you’re being fake or not yourself, or try to be “more” than you really are, then you may be destined for failure

Getting the job is half the battle, you then have to perform well to keep the job, or live up to the expectations you’ve set – This is a great reason why you should be yourself

Know what your position would be

It’s common sense, but you may want to ensure that you know every little bit about what you’re going to do.

Employers will often ask the question “How can you benefit our company?” – This is your chance to shine.

Be Knowledgeable about the company

Familiarize yourself with as much information as possible. Dig up all you can on their culture, policies, and check out their blog, website, anything you can get info on!

These can be great conversation points, and show you care enough about the company to know what’s going on with it.

Dress Appropriately

Even if the culture at the company may be “Jeans and a Shirt”, show that you care. Wear at least a nice pair of clean ironed slacks, and a nice dress shirt with shoes. It shows you’re serious and considerate enough to the company and to the interview in question.

Know Your Resume

Most likely they chose you for an interview after reviewing your resume. Something may have sparked their interest, so be prepared to describe your previous positions/duties.

Try to find qualities/duties from your previous positions that may relate to the position you’re applying for. Bring this up if they don’t, as a positive point (See: Know what your position would be)

Be Confident

If you go into an interview, and you’re overly apprehensive or nervous then this may in turn result in a lack of confidence from them. It’s normal to get the “jitters” before going into an interview, but try and shake them off as best as you can.

Sometimes your qualifications are just as important as being a people person, and “clicking” with your future boss/team.

The Hand Shake

This goes along with the confidence tip. A firm handshake shows something good about your character, confidence, and abilities to meet/click with people.

Pro Tip: Don’t squeeze their hand so hard you or them may get hurt/be in pain.

I’ve seen people get denied jobs, even though they were fully qualified, simply based off of things like lack of confidence.

Social media has been, for me, a blessing and a curse. I love using Social Media. I love talking to people, meeting new people, and being able to network with people who have similar interests as me. I love the fact that I can have a conversation with a 16 year old millionaire from England, Rackers, Microsoft Execs, and even social media “kings” such as Jason Calacanis. These people are highly talented, and tend to offer some of the best up-to-date information on the web. They’re also invaluable resources of general connection, and conversation.

I’ll sign up for every new social site, and give it a try. I love being able to interact with people in different ways, and being able to share different information. It allows me to define who I am, for others to “dial in” on who I am. It also allows me to network with those who share similar interests, and what’s not great about that?!

However, recently I’ve noticed the major differences in the data I post to each social media site. I posted something on Facebook, intended for my friends and family, asking for advice about career direction and possible relocation. The post was spawned by my emotions, due to the ever closer departure from my family vacation. What I forgot was, I had a client on my Facebook page. He mentioned it to my partner, stating he was a bit uneasy and this threw me off. The conversation was intended to spark intelligent advice, not out of a serious want to leave. I would never desert a company I’ve worked so hard to help build. Ever. You have to watch what you say on social media more and more because even the smallest comment, can be taken the wrong way. You wouldn’t want to live in a glass house. Maybe you would…creeper ;] (Kidding.)

On Twitter, I often find myself having to be 100% socially polite and acceptable, which is fine. People on Twitter don’t want to hear about your complaints (Not constantly, I can handle a little nagging, but if you hate your life, take it to Myspace, or a blog or something.) I use Twitter as an information and professional social networking tool, whereas I use Facebook for my complaints, emotions, and to communicate with family and friends. There is no reason for anything other than useful/social interactions to be on Twitter, at least in my personal opinion. I use Foursquare to “check-in” to large public venues, and Facebook Places to make comments about them. Why do I do that? No idea, but I find it shares just the right amount of data, even though I can do the same thing with both. But, Foursquare does offer incentives, with badges and special promotions….which plays a big part in it ;-].

I recently learned that, when you post a Facebook post to the “Big Wall/News Feed”, you can customize who can or can’t see the post. You can even set it so that only you can see it. I found this useful for having a possibly “drama centered” debate or conversation between two people. It worked perfectly, and I highly recommend clicking that little lock button next to the “Share” button and checking it out.

I’ve learned that social media, can build you, or it can break you. Tread carefully, watch what you post, and think to yourself “Would my boss/mother/father approve of this tweet? Could it be taken the wrong way?” I’ve learned many lessons about social media, and I encourage you to always review your content, even if it’s just 140 characters ;]

If you’re questioning yourself, just don’t post it.

I am constantly trying to better myself, complain less on Twitter, and post useful information. I am even looking for one of those supposed “Social Media Trainers”, as I believe I could greatly improve myself with some pro tips. Communication is something I am currently pushing myself to improve, and I encourage everyone else to do the same. I’m not perfect, but I hope others can learn from any advice I can offer, even if sometimes we don’t take our own advice.